


Mother Bear

by Jiiri



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Accidents, Cold Weather, Finland (Country), Forests, Gen, Hunters & Hunting, Mages, Magic, Spirits, Suomi | Finnish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 07:04:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18655393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jiiri/pseuds/Jiiri
Summary: Pirja is out hunting , but there is a problem.Includes several runos in Finnish, with translations.





	Mother Bear

There was nothing to it. The ski was gone. It was not merely broken, it was in three separate pieces. There had been no catch, all her traps were broken, and now this! 

She had pushed on the trapping trail longer than she should have, what with yet another blizzard building up. But she desperately wanted to show something for a cold day’s toils. The weather had already kept all the hunters away from the forest for several days. Well, this time the “something” was missing the path, rolling down the slope and breaking a perfectly workable ski. The other one was hardly damaged, but one ski is quite useless.

Pirja gathered her wits and started to get up. Only then did she notice that the ski wasn’t the only thing she had broken. Her leg gave a jolt of pain when she tried standing up. A hurried pat proved the bone was not badly broken, but the leg hurt, a lot. Despite the pain she took the snowshoes and tied them on. She couldn’t stay in the forest overnight, not in this weather. Her fur cape was warm, but even it was no match for the icy wind and needle-like snow.

The problem was that the path was on the higher part of the ridge, and she was now at the bottom. The slope was only moderately steep and had small trees that offered handholds, but with her hurt leg and the loads of soft new snow from the blizzards of the previous days, it was a bad climb. Pretty soon it turned out it was impossible.

“Great”, thought Pirja, “just what I needed. Let’s see: hurt, equipment broken, bad weather, lost path, night incoming fast. Brilliant!”. Pirja considered for a while. Asking for oneself was always tricky. In a genuine need the spirits may provide, but a foolish request would put you in a situation worse than the original. So, she set to build a shelter. However, with the terrible wind and only one ski to use as support, it didn’t really afford much protection. 

It was clear to her now that she was in mortal danger. Surely this was one of the situations, where she could pray even though it was only for her own benefit?

_Mielikki metsän emäntä_  
Tapiolan taitava akka!  
Kuule minua mitätöntä  
Käännä korvasi kurjalle! 

_Olen kyllä korven kansaa_  
Salomaiden sukua  
Elämme metsän eholla  
Seuraamme Tapion tapoja 

_Kohta käyvät kylmän vihat_  
Jäähän jääpi matkan pää  
Auta minua avutonta  
Päästä poloinen pahasta! 

_Monet metsät käyäkseni_  
Vuodet verevät viedäkseni  
Peikot pahat piestäkseni  
Hirviöt hävittääkseni 

_Mielikki metsän emäntä_  
Tapiolan taitava akka!  
Anna auttava kätesi  
Suojaa syleilyssäsi! 

_Lupaan laulun metsänväelle_  
Tapiolle taitoni tarjoan  
Kun saan vielä vetkutella  
Elossa edelleen olla 

(Mielikki, mistress of the forest  
Wise woman of Tapiola  
Hear me, though I’m not worthy  
Turn you ear to this poor soul!

I am of the forest people  
I am kin of the woodlands  
We live by the ways of the woods  
We follow the will of Tapio

Soon the cold will bite me, angy  
My journey will end in ice  
Help me, as I’m helpless  
Deliver me from danger!

For me to walk the woods again  
To spend sweet years alive  
For me to beat the beasts so bad  
To eradicate the monsters!

Mielikki, mistress of the forest  
Wise woman of Tapiola  
Give me your helping hand  
Protect me in your arms

I promise to sing for the forest  
I gift my skills to Tapio  
If only I may still stay  
If I may yet live)

She was of course very careful to ask for protection against the cold, and to not ask for warmth. That could result in an early thaw and set the beasts on them early! This has been known to happen. 

Among the ancient _runos_ there were several for asking for a mild winter. That seemed totally alien to her. Cold was important. Cold was friend to all humans, although in situations like hers it could also be a threat. All Finns learned early how to survive in the cold, but this was a bad situation with the many days of blizzards. 

To think that the ancient people did not need to worry about beasts and trolls! True, the ancients had had their worries too. They seemed always have been teetering at the edge of famine, and Halla was widely feared. (Halla is the mischievous spirit of frost. When it takes her whimsy to send frost and spread freezing conditions on the fields and crops, much of the harvest can be destroyed.) 

Not that they had too much food nowadays either. But at least it was much better than at the time of her grandparents. Grandmother had told her about the times when the human world had been thought to only include the Kajaani villages at islands Savisaari and Sokasaari, their own Rehva, Sotkamo on Ammonsaari, and Ontojärvi. Only a couple dozen houses in all, and not all had people living in them at the time! They had had to venture to built up areas to try and find still preserved food from the old world time, whenever fishing wasn’t good. It was a wonder they had survived the first years. To Pirja it seemed even more of a wonder that the people around the Saimaa area had survived. Apparently, there were beasts in the water there! What did they eat when even fishing wasn’t safe?

Nowadays it was much better. They had some cleansed fields, and connections with other Finns as well as foreigners - although foreigners were weird, the Swedes didn’t even have gods! How is this possible! And of course, after they had learned the ways of the spirits, everything had become so much easier. Almost anyone could connect with the spirit world at least occasionally and get help with wayfinding and staying safe on the fields. But the _noitas_ such as herself could do more. 

Well, dwelling on difficult historical times was not going to save her now. She had to find a way to keep herself warm, as getting back to Rehja tonight was clearly out of the question. The snow was too loose to build a snow cave, and the tarp didn’t work either in this weather. She hoped Mielikki had heard her and felt benevolent. Carefully she communicated with her Luonto – Find us shelter that will keep us warm overnight! 

_Luontoni, Lumikkoni_  
Ihanin itseni osanen  
Lähde, kulje, tutki, etsi!  
Riennä, juokse, joudu, keksi! 

_Olkoon metsä mennäksesi_  
Polut päästäkööt pienimmän!  
Suojaa meille saadaksemme  
Turmasta turvaan päästäksemme! 

(My Luonto, my Snow weasel  
The best part of myself  
Go, travel, detect, seek!  
Haste, run, hurry, find!

Let the forest pass you freely  
Let the paths open for the small one  
To find us the needed shelter  
To take us safe from the danger) 

Her Luonto was very good at finding things. It had the form of a white snow weasel (or a least weasel as it was sometimes called, but they didn’t like that name!). It was tiny (usually) and fast, but a ferocious fighter albeit not very strong. Quite like her, as people’s Luontos tend to be.

Everything was looking good; the weasel took off swiftly and seemed to have a bearing already. It was back soon, which was good as Pirja was already numb with the icy wind blowing on her unmoving body. “Come. Be warm.” the Luonto communicated. Pirja started in the direction indicated by the minuscule weasel. 

Soon she realized where they must be. The ice-covered oval had to be Pieni Hiidenlampi pond. The place had had its lucky name already at the time of the old world. Maybe even the ancients had felt something around it. Surely the spirits had existed then, even though apparently none among the ancients could see or feel them. Another alien concept. How could one live like that, separate from nature and everything?

Arrival at Pieni Hiidenlampi was the first good sign for a while. Maybe they would survive the night yet. The weasel Luonto indicated a small opening in the snowy slope on the eastern side of the pond. Good thing it had found it! Pirja might have found the pond, but she would never have spotted the opening in the blizzard. 

The spirit presence was strong around the opening and Pirja knew immediately that it was the wintering nest of a mother bear and two cubs. Since Mielikki had led them here, she was reasonably sure the bear spirit would be benevolent as well. Now she needed to prepare the request runo and – oh Gods! She didn’t have anything on her! She had eaten all her food ( _tyhmä! tyhmätyhmätyhmä!_ ) and there had been nothing in the traps. 

To be hurt and cold in the forest at a winter night was bad enough, but to be there without anything suitable for an offering was a disaster! The bear spirit would not care for her decorations or clothes. 

No, there was one thing. She had some of her tea in a pouch on her belt. The tea had a lovely soothing, sweet, summery scent. It also had the advantage of her having made it herself, which made it a better offering. In addition, she decided to promise to build a small cairn for the bear spirit, but that would have to wait. Hopefully the spirit would understand and accept a promise. After some consideration she also promised to bring honeycombs to the bear nest the following spring. “The honey will help you build your strength after the long winter, Mother Bear.”

Pirja took a good handful of her tea and placed it into the snow near the opening. She sang

_Oi mahtava Mesikämmen!_  
Kaunoisin Kontion henki!  
Pyydän siulta pulassani  
Otsolta anelen apua 

The sweet scent of the tea filled the cold air for a second. Good, the spirit accepted it.

_Päästä polonen piiloosi_  
Suojaasi surkia tyttö  
Lämmitä minut lähelläsi  
Varjele kylmän vihalta 

_Teenpä kaupat kanssasi_  
Palveluksen palvelusta  
Rakennan risukasasta  
Puista pistän parhaan paalun! 

_Metsän kuninkaan kunniaksi_  
Otsolle omistetuksi  
Kontion kohottajaksi  
Mesikämmenen mieliksi 

_Makeinta mesihunajata_  
Ihaninta imellystä  
Tuon siulle, tuon pennuille  
Keväällä koko perheelle! 

(Oh mighty Honey Eater!  
Most beautiful spirit of the Shaggy One!  
I beseech you as I’m in danger  
I pray for help of the Brown One!

Let this poor one hide with you  
Protect this wretched girl  
Warm me with your presence  
Save me from the angry cold

I shall strike a deal with you  
A service for a service  
I will build of stick and twig  
I will mount the best of piles!

To honor the king of the forest  
Dedicated to the Brown One!  
To elate the Shaggy One!  
To please the Honey Eater!

The sweetest of sweet honey  
The most delicate delicacy  
I will bring you, I will bring the cubs  
I will bring for the whole family in the spring!)

There was no further response, but the bear spirit felt calm. Also her Luonto seemed content and not scared at all. So, she dug on the snow to make the breathing hole a little bigger, and crawled in. Just as she had felt, a mother bear and two small cubs, nursing at the side of their enormous mom. 

Many of the ancients had thought that bears are sound asleep throughout the winter, but Pirja knew this was not true. The Mother Bear opened her eyes. _“Ollos tervehditty, Äiti Karhu. Se olen minä, Pirja, Rehjan tyttöjä. Pyysin Karhun hengeltä suojaa ja minut johdatettiin tänne. Anna minulle suojaa yöksi, niin tuon sinulle keväällä hunajaa!”_ (Greetings, Mother Bear! It is me, Pirja, from Rehja. I asked for protection from the Spirit of Bear, and I was led here. Please shelter me for the night, and I will bring you honey in the spring!)

The Mother Bear appeared to consider this. Then she closed her eyes and moved her great front paws to make room for Pirja next to the cubs. So the Bear Spirit had accepted her plea. 

“Perhaps she’d give me some milk too?” Pirja thought, but decided against pushing her luck. At least she was now sheltered. When she settled down with the bear family, their warmth helped her feel her toes and fingers again. Soon she was sound asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to explore what the use of magic and help from the spirits might be like for the Finnish mages. I think it’s not a cornucopia of just asking for things, rather it can be more of a bargain. In any case you have try to help yourself first and always be both reasonable and respectful. Any representations of the Finnish faith are based on interpretations by me, and I am definitely not an expert, just a fan!
> 
> Translations of the runos are for informative purposes only and are not even trying to follow the meter.
> 
> Please note that in the third runo Pirja addresses the Spirit of the Bear whilst in the greeting she speaks to this particular bear.
> 
> Tapio = forest god  
> Tapiola = Tapio’s domain  
> Mesikämmen, kontio, otso, metsän kuningas e.g. = euphemisms for bear (karhu)  
> Kylmän vihat, lit. ”anger of the cold” = getting hurt by cold, freezing  
> tyhmä = stupid


End file.
